

Out-Of-State Child Custody
What to do when a parent has custody of the children pursuant to a Michigan order and the other parent runs off with them to another state if law enforcement in the other state tells the custodial parent to get a "pick up order" before they will enforce the Michigan custody order? The Michigan custodial parent will need to file in the family court of the other state a version of these documents along with a certified copy of the Michigan custody order: Petition for Expedited


Unequal rights for a married vs. an unmarried parent for police assistance to retrieve child
If the parents are married, the law automatically presumes that the husband is also the father of the child. As such, police agencies consider married parents to each have equal rights to their children. Police agencies will generally not get involved in disputes between married couples regarding which parent should have the child. A police officer will simply say that it is a “civil matter” and to seek a court order.
If the parents are NOT married to each other, Michigan la


Child and Spousal Support Arrears - Part Two
What else can happen if you have support arrearages? If you owe more than $2,500 in support, the amount of your past-due support will be reported to consumer reporting (i.e. credit) agencies. If you owe more than $2,500 in support, the Secretary of State will refuse to issue a passport to you and may revoke, restrict, or limit a passport that was previously issued. If your arrearages are greater than or equal to more than two months of support and an order of income withholdi


A La Carte Legal Services!
LIMITED SCOPE REPRESENTATION: Legal Services “a la carte” Did you ever want to hire an attorney but couldn’t afford their full services? Starting January 1, 2018, pursuant to new rules adopted by the Michigan Supreme Court, attorneys practicing private civil law (not criminal or commercial matters) are allowed to “unbundle” their services to provide discrete legal services of limited scope rather than traditional full representation. These services are referred to as Limited


Family Law Institute, 16th Annual
Family Law Institute Luncheon, 2017! This event brings together more than 600 judges, lawyers, referees, psychologists, CPAs, and more. (Lea Ann Sterling, far left) #familylaw #legalhelp #divorce #childcustody #childsupport


Good morning!
A beautiful morning in Detroit for Lea Ann Sterling after attending the Family Law Council Annual Dinner last night. Today Lea Ann serves on State Bar Of Michigan Representative Assembly as part of the SBM Annual Meeting at COBO Hall. #LeaAnnSterling #familylaw #divorce #childcustody #childsupport #StateBarofMichigan


Sterling Law - Firm Retreat at Camp Ginger Quill
Fun and learning had by all at our yearly firm retreat at Camp Ginger Quill this year! Fantastic group of people. #familylaw #SterlingLaw #Retreat #ADAM #TheAmericanDivorceAssociationforMen

Family Law Summer Institute
Today, Lea Ann Sterling, Agnes Jury, and Zach Backlund are attending the State Bar of Michigan Family Law Summer Institute at Grand Traverse Resort! #familylaw #militarydivorce #custodydisputes #LeaAnnSterling #AgnesJury #ZachBacklund #StateBarofMichigan